Spare the Rod

In raising children, discipline must be involved. We live in a culture though that greatly disagrees in the manner of discipline that should be utilized upon children. I understand why. Many parents have crossed the line and abused children in the name of spanking. And parents who do not believe in spanking have still enraged children with discipline without communication. There are angry kids out there, but is spanking by itself the problem?

How did your parents discipline you? How did that impact you?

Take a moment and read Proverbs 29:15-17 and see what God’s Word says about raising children.

15 A rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a youth left to himself is a disgrace to his mother.

16 When the wicked increase, rebellion increases, but the righteous will see their downfall.

17 Discipline your son, and it will bring you peace of mind and give you delight.

Does the Bible encourage spanking? Absolutely. Does the Bible ever encourage uncontrolled anger to be unleashed upon children? Absolutely not. In fact, the Bible warns fathers not to stir their children up to anger (Eph. 6:4). Contrastingly, intentional spanking for the sake of molding children into godly adults is an encouraged act because it imparts wisdom. It also provides peace of mind for fathers and helps instruct children to live in such a way that they will not bring disgrace to the family.

Many people in our culture will use the phrase, “Spare the rod, spoil the child” without knowing its origin. Actually, it’s metamorphosis came about over a long time but finds its origin in the Bible. Read it now in Proverbs 13:24:

24 The one who will not use the rod hates his son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Did you catch that? God’s Word says that if you don’t spank your children, you hate them! Why? Because if rebellious children go unchallenged they will grow into adults who will rebel against employers, officials, and even God. The act of spanking might save some of their lives by assuring them that there is someone in control in this world and it is not them!

On the other hand, if you love your children, the Bible says you will discipline them. The goal is simple: raising godly children.